Arguably the the most famous scientist in the world today, Hawking suffers from a motor neuron disease; while the disease has left him gradually paralysed & voice-ridden, he continues to communicate with the help of a speech-generating gadget; he was the first to propose that black holes leak energy; he has also authored many books including the bestseller A Brief History of Time

Sudha Chandran, dancer

After losing a leg in a train accident in 1981, Chandran resumed her life with the help of a Jaipur foot; an accomplished Bharatnatyam dancer & actor, she rose to fame by giving performances all over the world; a film Mayuri was also made on her life

Franklin D Roosevelt, US president

Roosevelt continued his political career despite being stricken with polio in 1921; he was elected the 32nd president of the US & served from 1933 to 1945; during his presidentship, the US economy picked up; he also played a major role in the creation of the United Nations

Sarah Bernhardt, stage actor

Nicknamed the Divine Sarah, this French actor lost her right leg at the peak of her career; though she was wheelchair bound, she continued acting using a prosthetic leg; she died in 1923, aged 78 years

Marlee Matlin, film actor

Being deaf from childhood hasn’t stopped Matlin from winning the Oscar for best actress for her role in Children of a Lesser God; she has also won the Golden Globe & has four Emmy nominations to her credit

Tanni Grey-Thompson, athlete

Born with spina bifida, Grey-Thompson is the winner of 14 paralympic medals including nine golds & has broken 20 world records; currently a parliamentarian & a TV presenter, she has also won the London marathon five times

Stevie Wonder, singer

Blindness due to premature birth couldn’t deter Wonder from making a mark in his life; not only is he a musician & a singer but also a song writer par excellence; he signed for his first record label at age 11 & so far given more than 30 US top 10 hits

Arunima Sinha, sportsperson

A leg amputation in 2011 as a result of being thrown out by the thieves from a moving train while she was resisting them, didn’t let her spirits down; a national-level volleyball player, she climbed Mt Everest in 2013 after making a journey of 17 hours

Oscar Pistorius, athlete

Despite having lost both his legs during childhood, Pistorius made running his strength; the South African sprint runner has won 8 medals in various summer Paralympics so far & is known by the name of “Blade Runner”

Priya Kapoor

A tribute to those who didn’t let their disability come in their way

Stephen Hawking, scientist

Arguably the the most famous scientist in the world today, Hawking suffers from a motor neuron disease; while the disease has left him gradually paralysed & voice-ridden, he continues to communicate with the help of a speech-generating gadget; he was the first to propose that black holes leak energy; he has also authored many books including the bestseller A Brief History of Time

Sudha Chandran, dancer

After losing a leg in a train accident in 1981, Chandran resumed her life with the help of a Jaipur foot; an accomplished Bharatnatyam dancer & actor, she rose to fame by giving performances all over the world; a film Mayuri was also made on her life

Franklin D Roosevelt, US president

Roosevelt continued his political career despite being stricken with polio in 1921; he was elected the 32nd president of the US & served from 1933 to 1945; during his presidentship, the US economy picked up; he also played a major role in the creation of the United Nations

Sarah Bernhardt, stage actor

Nicknamed the Divine Sarah, this French actor lost her right leg at the peak of her career; though she was wheelchair bound, she continued acting using a prosthetic leg; she died in 1923, aged 78 years

Marlee Matlin, film actor

Being deaf from childhood hasn’t stopped Matlin from winning the Oscar for best actress for her role in Children of a Lesser God; she has also won the Golden Globe & has four Emmy nominations to her credit

Tanni Grey-Thompson, athlete

Born with spina bifida, Grey-Thompson is the winner of 14 paralympic medals including nine golds & has broken 20 world records; currently a parliamentarian & a TV presenter, she has also won the London marathon five times

Stevie Wonder, singer

Blindness due to premature birth couldn’t deter Wonder from making a mark in his life; not only is he a musician & a singer but also a song writer par excellence; he signed for his first record label at age 11 & so far given more than 30 US top 10 hits

Arunima Sinha, sportsperson

A leg amputation in 2011 as a result of being thrown out by the thieves from a moving train while she was resisting them, didn’t let her spirits down; a national-level volleyball player, she climbed Mt Everest in 2013 after making a journey of 17 hours

Oscar Pistorius, athlete

Despite having lost both his legs during childhood, Pistorius made running his strength; the South African sprint runner has won 8 medals in various summer Paralympics so far & is known by the name of “Blade Runner”